This invention relates to conference bridges that support conference calls in a telecommunication system and more specifically to how a conference bridge handles signaling from users during an ongoing telephone conference call.
A conference calling feature has been made available to subscribers by telecommunication service providers in the United States for some time. Using a common analog POTS telephone, a user desiring to simultaneously talk with two other parties can activate a conference calling feature provided by the telecommunication service provider. Touchtone signals are entered by the user to signal the desired implementation of a conference call to the supporting central office switch. Typically this service is limited to a three party conference call. Because of the small number of parties to the conference call, there is no need for further signaling once the conference call has been established.
Conference calling services, such as for a business meeting, involving a substantial number of parties is also available from telecommunication service providers and private services. Arrangements to conduct such a conference call are normally scheduled ahead of the time and date of the conference call with the service provider followed by notices being sent to the invited participants. One participant, typically the person organizing the conference call, functions as a host during the conference call and usually serves as the predominant speaker. Invited participants call a designated telephone number at the time of the conference call and are manually or automatically joined into the conference. A participant, who is not the host, is normally required to enter one or more touchtone signals during the conference call in order to request permission to speak to the other conference call members. This protocol is followed in order to prevent a possibly chaotic situation in which several of the participants attempt to speak at the same time. It may also be necessary to switch or change of the characteristics of the line of a participant who is to speak in order to maintain appropriate audio levels.
Although the use of the touchtone signals as control commands has generally proved effective, the transmission of the touchtone sounds can be disturbing to participants of the ongoing conference call. For example, one or more participants may desire to speak by transmitting the touchtone command signals during the conference call at a time when the host is not agreeable to take questions or open the conference to discussion by other participants. Such touchtone signals can be disturbing and/or disruptive to the other participants, and may impair the understanding of any concurrent spoken words. It is possible for the conference service provider to split the transmit and receive audio paths of the participants so that the transmit path of each participant is connected only to an operator rather than the other participants of the conference call. In this way, a person who desires to obtain the floor and speak to the other participants must obtain permission through an operator before the transmit audio path of that person is connected under the control of the operator to the conference. Of course, this means that the cost of such service will be higher than a service that does not require active intervention by an operator. Therefore, a need exists for improved handling of touchtone signaling commands by participants during an ongoing conference call.